Lions Bay closes access to local hiking trails over wildfire concerns
Caution tape surrounds the parking lot outside the trailhead to Tunnel Bluffs Friday morning.
The mayor and council for the Village of Lions Bay voted to close the access points to all local hiking trails Thursday afternoon, citing wildfire concerns.
“The risk right now is just simply not worth it for that community, the residents and the visitors,” Acting Mayor Jamie Cunliffe told CTV News.
Given the proximity to homes in the area, Cunliffe said a fire along the trails could quickly threaten private property in the community.
“It would happen to be, you know, a few hundred meters from people's homes,” she explained.
Cunliffe said unlike other municipalities, Lions Bay relies on its own watershed as a water source – and due to a shortage, the village is on the cusp of introducing even stricter water restrictions.
“So having to use that valuable resource to put out a fire is going to be very detrimental to the community,” she said, adding that a fire in the watershed would be “devastating.”
The acting mayor said there have been a handful of fires in and around the village, all believed to be human-caused, and officials are doing all they can to mitigate the risk.
COMMUNITY NOT SHUNNING OUTSIDERS, MAYOR SAYS
During the height of the pandemic, parking was severely limited to the beaches in Lions Bay, leaving many visitors feeling like the village was intentionally keeping them out.
But Cunliffe said that is not what’s happening here.
“The objective here is not to cut off public access,” she said.
Some village residents told CTV News they are skeptical because they have also been asking for permits to trim trees to mitigate the fire risk, but those have all been denied.
The acting mayor reiterated the decision is not a political one, but a safety measure.
“It's 100 per cent about fire safety. And when it comes to tree trimming, we do have a permitting system and during songbird nesting season we do not allow trimming on public trees,” she said.
Cunliffe said the closure of trail access is only temporary and they will continue to monitor the situation to see when they can be reopened to the public.
Correction
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the acting mayor's surname. It is Cunliffe.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.